Holidays Are Fun annual report 2025 to 2026

Teesside, located in the North East of England, is a vibrant region with a rich history and diverse landscape. Historically, it was renowned for its manufacturing industries, particularly steel production, which later expanded to include a thriving chemical sector that continues to play an important role in the local economy today. Alongside its industrial heritage, Teesside offers a wealth of natural beauty, from sweeping sandy beaches and dramatic cliffs to charming seaside towns along its coastline. Further inland, visitors and residents can enjoy rolling hills, open moorland, forests, and a revitalised riverside environment, creating a unique blend of industry, culture, and nature.

Within Teesside sits the Borough of Stockton‑on‑Tees. Originally a historic market town, Stockton‑on‑Tees has expanded significantly over time and now encompasses Billingham, Ingleby Barwick, Norton, Stockton, Thornaby, Yarm, and several surrounding rural villages.

The Borough has a population of approximately 196,000, made up of people from a wide range of cultures and backgrounds. There are approximately 31,800 children on roll in schools from reception to year 11. Of these, over 9,165 children (29%) are eligible for free school meals and are therefore entitled to access the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme.

Despite the region's rich cultural heritage and natural beauty, many children in Stockton-on-Tees have never had the opportunity to experience the very attractions and environments that make the area unique. This is where the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme has been invaluable for local families and for supporting children's development and wellbeing. Through HAF, children from some of the Borough's most disadvantaged communities have been able to access enriching, exciting, and often life-changing experiences that would otherwise be beyond their reach. For many families, the programme has provided first-time opportunities to visit the beach, museums, and cinemas, as well as participate in activities such as horse riding, helping to broaden horizons, build confidence, and create lasting memories.

Deprivation

According to the Index of Multiple Deprivation 2019, the Borough is the seventy third most deprived Local Authority in England (out of 317). There are 27 wards in Stockton-on-Tees, nine of which are in the 10% most deprived wards in the country.

Inequality

There are highly affluent areas alongside areas of deprivation within Stockton-on-Tees. Some parts of the northern, western and southern areas of the Borough are amongst the least deprived in England. For example, there is a gap of 21 years in average life expectancy amongst men between the most and least deprived wards in Stockton-on-Tees.

Cost of living crisis

At present, the rising costs of food, fuel and other essentials are combining with the existing disadvantages and vulnerability in the Borough to put households under significant pressure. This leaves them at risk of hardship and poor wellbeing in the short-term and reduced opportunity in the long-term.

Children's Services involvement

Within Stockton-on-Tees we have high numbers of families and children who access additional support from Children's Services.

Children in our care

At 31 March 2025 there are 564 children in the care of the local authority. This is a rate of 127.9 per 10,000 children, against a regional rate of 114.0 per 10,000 children.

School challenges

Schools are facing several challenges post-Covid. This is evident in attendance data, closely followed by social and emotional wellbeing, which can result in challenging behaviour within both primary and secondary schools and the community.

Domestic violence

Statistics show that domestic abuse affects a quarter of all residents at some time in their lives, regardless of age, social class, race, disability, sexual orientation, or lifestyle. The visible consequences of this are obvious to see but the hidden consequences are often underestimated, such as isolation, loss of confidence, fear, and despair.

Diversity

Towns in Stockton-on-Tees and the wider North East have high levels of migrants and asylum seekers. Whilst the area welcomes families and migrants and the diversity of cultures it brings, the demands on local services is high. Language and cultural barriers can at times be difficult.

The Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme is funded by the Department for Education and delivered locally by Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council. To help reduce the stigma some families associate with the programme, the Stockton-on-Tees HAF team held a competition to rename it. This resulted in the title Holidays Are Fun, which has been positively received. Children now recognise the HAF acronym as representing fun, rather than linking it to holiday hunger.

The HAF programme is available to school-aged children from reception to year 11 who are in receipt of benefit-related free school meals. In addition, Stockton-on-Tees uses the 15% discretionary allowance to include vulnerable children, including those open to Children's Services, young carers registered with Eastern Ravens Trust, and families in receipt of Universal Credit.

This approach ensures that some of the most vulnerable children and young people can access enriching activities during the school holidays, while also helping to ensure they receive nutritious food at a time when they may not otherwise have access to school meals.

The aims of the programme are for children to:

• eat more healthily over the school holidays
• be more physically active during the school holidays
• feel safe and less socially isolated
• take part in engaging and enriching activities that support the development of resilience, character, wellbeing, and wider educational attainment
• develop a greater understanding of health and nutrition
• be more engaged with school and wider support services

HAF provision was delivered in line with Department for Education expectations across the main holiday periods.

Easter 2025

One week of provision, delivered over a minimum of four days.

Summer 2025

At least four weeks of provision, delivered over a minimum of 16 days.

Christmas 2025

One week of provision, delivered over a minimum of four days.

February 2026

One week of provision.

A well-established steering group operates in Stockton‑on‑Tees, with representation from a range of key partners including Children's Services, Finance, Public Health, Community Engagement, Communications and Marketing and Information Governance.

The Steering Group meets regularly to review progress, share updates, and address key areas of delivery. Standing agenda items include:

• what's working well
• even better if (areas for improvement)
• booking system performance
• financial monitoring and reporting
• marketing and communications

The HAF steering group is made up of the following members:

A wide range of communications materials were used during 2025 to 2026 to promote the Holidays Are Fun (HAF) programme. This included online, offline and in-person promotion at events, forums and within schools.

A comprehensive communications toolkit was issued to providers to use across digital platforms and email. Additionally, Stockton Borough Council issued news releases and social media posts, and targeted emails were sent directly to parents who had previously accessed HAF, as well as direct communications to staff working with children and families.

Offline promotion included printed leaflets, posters, and pull‑up banners displayed in community venues, alongside adverts on digital screens located on Stockton High Street and within Tees Active leisure venues. Additionally, a direct letter about HAF with a booking QR code was sent to each family in receipt of benefit related free school meals prior to summer holidays.

The programme was also promoted through the Council's website, internal channels such as the Keeping You in Touch weekly staff newsletter and The Loop, as well as through regular stakeholder communications to town and parish councils. HAF featured prominently on the Council's cost‑of‑living advice webpage and was regularly included in Stockton-on-Tees News.

In addition, the programme was promoted through the weekly VCSE bulletin, enabling local charities and community groups to share information directly with the families they support.

A family living within a women's refuge accessed the Holidays Are Fun (HAF) programme through sessions delivered on site. Harbour delivers HAF sessions within the refuge and also supports families to take part in safe, supported trips to local venues and attractions. These sessions provided the family with opportunities to take part in activities in a secure and supportive environment whilst making new friends and learning about the area.

Mum shared the following feedback on the impact of HAF on her family: "We had to move here from out of town and leave all of our family and friends behind. I'm not going to lie it's been tough for us all and we have been through every emotion going. At first we kept ourselves to ourselves and stayed in our unit a lot, we felt so isolated away from everyone. This Easter though we joined in with the activities and the kids absolutely loved it, including me. We've made friends and it has been nice being around people who understand us and what we are going through. The activities have brought fun, and we have never laughed so much in ages. The staff have been great and have gone above and beyond to make sure we have had such a nice time. We were so grateful for the meals and food too, the kids have actually eaten stuff they would never try with me. I just want to say thank-you. You really don't know how much this has meant to us."

During 2025 to 2026, a total of 35 organisations delivered one or more Holidays Are Fun (HAF) clubs across Stockton-on-Tees. These providers represented a diverse range of sectors, including schools, sports and dance organisations, charities, childcare providers, and private companies.

Providers worked collaboratively with the local authority to deliver high-quality, engaging, and enriching holiday provision in safe and welcoming environments. Activities were designed to enable children and young people to have fun, develop new skills, build confidence, and form positive friendships, contributing to their overall wellbeing and personal development.

Activities

HAF providers delivered a wide variety of enriching activities, including sport, music, theatre, filmmaking, cinema, dance, outdoor learning, STEM activities, and cookery. In addition, many providers organised day trips to libraries, museums, local landmarks and attractions, and coastal areas such as beaches. Feedback from children and families highlighted that many would not have otherwise had the opportunity to access these experiences without the HAF programme. Session lengths varied, typically ranging from two to six hours.

All HAF providers were expected to incorporate a minimum of 60 minutes of physical activity within each session. Across the programme, a broad and inclusive range of physical activities was available, including martial arts, boxing, football, multi-sports, climbing, swimming, ice skating, water sports, dance, bushcraft, gymnastics, and horse riding. Booking data indicates that these activities were particularly popular among children and young people, with many exceeding the minimum requirement for daily physical activity.

Physical activities were designed to be inclusive and were adapted where necessary to ensure that all children, including those with additional needs, were able to participate fully across a range of settings and venues.

In addition to offering children a hot nutritious meal that met school food standards, providers were asked to deliver nutritional and healthy lifestyle education as part of their HAF programme. Providers did this in a variety of ways. For some it involved educative sessions with paper-based activities, others offered interactive sessions, including food-based activities such as making fruit kebabs, homemade pizzas, taste testing, blind taste testing, growing herbs, cookery workshops or including children in cooking their own meals.

Cookstars delivered a series of cookery sessions within a family hub for children supported by the Edge of Care Team at Stockton‑on‑Tees Borough Council. These sessions were both educational and engaging, providing children with the opportunity to develop new, practical life skills while enjoying a fun and supportive environment.

Many providers worked in partnership with external agencies to deliver preventative education sessions covering topics such as dental hygiene, vaping and smoking, positive relationships and friendships, and basic first aid.

Providers also have access to the Public Health Information Library, which offers a wide range of resources and equipment. These resources support providers to deliver key educational messages in a way that is both engaging and informative for children and young people.

As part of Christmas HAF delivery, a referral-based food hamper initiative was implemented to support vulnerable and in-need families. Professionals across Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council were able to refer families to receive a two-day activity and food hamper. A total of four hundred high-quality food hampers were acquired from Feeding Families and distributed by the HAF team. Each hamper contained two days' worth of food and essential items for a family of four, (larger families received two hampers) alongside a child-friendly recipe card designed to enable children, with adult support, to prepare a meal using the ingredients provided as an engaging activity. In addition, four different family board games were sourced, and each family was able to select one to take home as a separate at-home activity.

Holidays Are Fun (HAF) providers in Stockton-on-Tees work hard to be inclusive and to support the needs of all children. Providers will often make reasonable adaptations to their delivery to ensure inclusion, and there have been occasions where additional staffing has been funded to support children in line with the requirements set out in their Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP).

While there remains a shortage of specialist SEND provision within the Borough, the HAF team has worked closely with a small number of providers to offer targeted SEND sessions alongside their mainstream provision. This approach has helped to increase the availability of inclusive activities for children and young people with SEND.

In summer 2024, 190 specialist SEND places were available through the HAF programme. This was increased to 872 places in summer 2025, reflecting the continued development of the Borough's SEND offer and our commitment to improving access for children and young people with additional needs.

All providers delivering the Holidays Are Fun (HAF) programme during 2025 to 2026 worked closely with the local authority to ensure appropriate signposting and referral pathways were available for families and their children. Providers displayed information on site, distributed leaflets and flyers, and in some cases created information folders containing details of local services for families to access.

Referrals were made for a range of support, including early help services, free beds, food supplies, Christmas hampers, supermarket vouchers, bus passes, and specific practical items. Many providers are embedded within their local communities and actively source donations, including clothing, toys, and sports equipment, which they are able to pass on to families experiencing hardship.

The Stockton-on-Tees HAF team is based in Education, Inclusion and Achievement within Children's Services, enabling close collaboration with colleagues across School Support, Help and Support, and Social Care. The HAF team provides information and advice to professionals working directly with families to help identify and secure the most appropriate activities for vulnerable children and young people.

Stockton-on-Tees Holidays Are Fun (HAF) providers benefited from the generous support of Warburtons again during 2025 to 2026. This support enabled providers to offer additional meals and snacks and deliver a range of food education activities, including making pizzas, sandwiches, and other healthy food options with children and young people.

Providers also accessed donations and support from a variety of other organisations, including major supermarket chains and local food businesses, helping to enhance the food offer available through the programme.

However, providers reported that securing food donations is becoming increasingly challenging. Many organisations are now approaching supermarket community champions and local businesses for support as a result of the ongoing cost-of-living pressures, leading to greater competition for the limited donations available.

HAF providers

Active Future Teesside

AJ Stage Schools

ATG Entertainment (Stockton Globe Theatre)

BCT Aspire

Bowesfield Primary School

Budo For Change

Daisy Chain Project Teesside

Eastern Ravens Trust

Emily Wratten Dance and Fitness

Family Action

Gamers @ Hart

Groundwork Northeast and Cumbria

Harbour Support Services

Hardwick in Partnership

Hartlepool United Community Sports Foundation

Iron Guidance

Lisa McGee Education

Live it Get Active

Mill Lane Primary School

Ninja Warrior Teesside

Outdoor Ambition

Purple Door Studio

Regenerate Hope for Autism

Roseberry Community Consortium

Schools Out Sports In

Sporting Chance

Stainsby Gymnastics

Stainsby Stud Riding School

STEAM Ahead

Stockton Sixth Form College

Stockton Town Football Club

Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council Community Engagement Team

Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council Edge of Care Team

Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council School Support Team

Stockton-on-Tees Borough Libraries

Tees Active

The Five Lamps Organisation

HAF delivery organisations

Cookstars

Play Factory

Showcase Cinema

The Holidays are Fun (HAF) programme in Stockton-on-Tees successfully achieved the following levels of attendance 2025 to 2026:

Family A

The Holidays Are Fun (HAF) team was made aware of a family experiencing significant bereavement due to the death of a parent. At the time, the children's father was not present, and the children had moved to live with a close family member at very short notice. The new carer took on this responsibility unexpectedly and was experiencing financial hardship as she adjusted to the new care arrangements. To support the family, the HAF team was able to provide pantomime tickets as part of the Christmas HAF offer, alongside a high-quality food and activity hamper. In addition, the family received clothing donations and household essentials that had been generously donated to support families in need. These items included clothes, pyjamas, coats, and Christmas gifts, which helped to significantly reduce the practical and emotional pressures facing the carer during an already challenging period.

The HAF team also provided Ninja Warrior vouchers remaining from the summer HAF programme, giving the children a positive activity to look forward to. A member of the HAF team maintained contact with the carer for a short period, during which the carer repeatedly expressed how valuable the support had been for the family. The carer highlighted that HAF had already played an important role while the children's mother was unwell, as it provided the children with a safe, structured, and enriching environment during the school holidays.

The availability of HAF provision enabled extended family members to focus on supporting the family during Mum's final months, whilst ensuring the children continued to have positive experiences at a time that was distressing for the family as a whole. It also helped to shield the children from some of the emotional impact associated with caring for a seriously unwell parent.

During a final visit, the children's carer became tearful as she expressed her gratitude for the ongoing support provided through the HAF programme, describing the local offer as a "saving grace." The opportunities available through HAF made a meaningful difference to the family during a very difficult time, allowing them to enjoy the festive period and remain connected to positive community activities. The family booked onto several HAF sessions and were able to attend family activities without the additional worry of cost. The carer also shared that she had been concerned about the children becoming socially isolated during the school holidays following their bereavement; however, continued engagement with HAF ensured they remained socially active and connected with their peers.

Family B

A carer contacted the HAF team to request a discretionary HAF place during the summer programme due to challenging family circumstances. The child is a former looked‑after child and is now cared for by their grandparents under a Special Guardianship Order. In order to meet the child's needs, the grandmother had reduced her working hours, which had a significant impact on the family's income. She shared how difficult it had become to manage financially and explained that she had been unable to secure suitable childcare locally. Following consideration of the circumstances, the HAF team approved access to a discretionary HAF place. The grandmother later fed back that this support had lifted a significant weight from her shoulders and provided much‑needed reassurance during a difficult period. After the holidays, she contacted the team again to share how much the child had enjoyed the activities and how positive the experience had been for the whole family.

A total of £883,540 was allocated to deliver the Holidays Are Fun (HAF) programme during 2025 to 2026.

This funding covered provision across Easter 2025, Summer 2025, Christmas 2025, and February half-term 2026.

The breakdown of the actual expenditure against this funding allocation is:

• administrative expenditure: £88,354
• capital expenditure: nil
• programme expenditure: £758,694.91
• other expenditure: £36,483.60
• total expenditure (for 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026): £883,533.50

We have received a number of comments back from families who have participated in Holiday are Fun. 

Parent A said:

A feels safe to be herself at DC, unmasking and asking questions without fear of judgement.

Parent B said:

HAF has been a real lifeline for me over summer, I don't know what I would have done without it!

Parent C said:

The holidays are really hard for us. HAF gave my kids something exciting and fun to do, learning new skills and keeping healthy, making friends. It took a lot of stress and worry off me financially.

Parent D said:

My children are always full when they come home from here! It takes the pressure off me in holidays as I struggle with the food shopping on my own.

We have received a number of comments back from children and young people who have participated in Holiday Are Fun (HAF). 

Young Person A said:

This week was so fun and educational, I learnt a lot about the hard work that goes into productions and what jobs there are. Josh and Marina were so nice and welcoming you really felt comfortable around them. We had a go at playing with the lights and at acting. I would definitely go again.

Child A said:

I've made so many friends at HAF. I don't see them at school so it's nice to see them every holiday when I come back!

Key challenges in delivering the programme in 2025 to 2026 included:

• places being booked but children not attending on the day
• increased provider costs, particularly relating to venues, staffing, and food which meant providers increasingly advising they are struggling to achieve target costs
• insufficient specialist Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) providers in Stockton-on-Tees locality
• a reduction in Department for Education funding alongside an increase in the number of eligible children
• a growing number of requests for support for children who are not eligible under the benefit‑related free school meals criteria
• the late announcement of Holidays Are Fun (HAF) funding, which made advance planning with providers for 2025 to 2026 challenging